Improvement in corn-planters



TAYLOR & SPRAGUE Corn Planter No. 28,917. Patented June 26, 1860.

. lnv'ento r: Witnesses= j E fi a/ a it M W m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

R. TAYLOR AND R. SPRAGUE, OF PRAIRIE CITY, ILLINQIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN -PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 28,917, dated June 26, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, R. TAYLOR and R. SPRAGUE, of Prairie City, in the county of McDonough and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Corn-Planter; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side sectional view of our invention, taken in the line a: 00, Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a plan or top view of our invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre- Sponding parts in the two figures.

This invention relates to a novel and improved arrangement of seed-boxes and shares,

substantially as hereinafter described, whereby the seed-distributing device may, when nec essary, be rendered inoperative with the great est facility, and the shares at the same time elevated above the surface of the ground, both results being obtained'by the same movement or manipulation of the driver.

The invention consists in having the seedboxes and shares attached to a sliding frame, which are fitted on inclined planes in the main frame of the machine, whereby the desired end is obtained.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct our invention, we will proceed to describe it.

A represents a rectangular frame, which is mounted on two wheels, B B, the axle O of which has its bearings attached to the under side of the frame A, the wheels being permanently attached to the axle and the axle turn ing in its bearings. The frame A is divided longitudinally by a central bar, D, and in the frame A, at each side of the bar D, there is placed a V-shaped frame, E. These frames E are provided with rollers a, and their front ends rest on inclined planes 1) at the front part of the frame, while their back ends rest on inclined planes or cleats c at the back part of the frame. The gravity of the frames E, with the parts attached to them, has a tendency to keep the frames at the back part of the frame A, as shown in Fig. 1.

To each frame E, at its front part, there is attached a seed-box, F. The seed-boxes are provided with double bottoms d d, between which a slide, G, is fitted and allowed to work freely back and forth. The slides G are per- ].forated each with a hole, 0, and so, also, are

the bottoms (l d of each seed-box F, as shown at f. This seed-distributing arrangement is common to many seeding-machines, is well known, and therefore does not require to be minutely described.

To the back end of each slide G there is attached a spring, 9. These springs have their upper ends attached to the frames E just back of the seed-boxes, as shown at 71, and they have a tendency to keep the slides G drawn out from the boxes to the extent of their move. ment, so that the holes 6 of the slides will register with the holes f in the upper bottoms, d,

of the seedboxes. (See Fig. 1.)

To the axle 0 there are attached staples 4 '13, a staple being directly back of each seed-slide G, and tothe back part of each frame E there are attached two inclined bars, j j, said bars having covering-shares H attached to theirlower ends. To the front end of each frame there is attached an inclined bar, 7.;', having a furrow-share, Z, at their lower ends.

On the upper part of the frame A there is placed a shaft, I, having two 'pendants, m an, attached. The lower ends of these pendants are connected by rods n n to the back part of the frames E E. The shaft I has a lever, J, attached to it, said lever being within reach of the drivers seat J.

To one side of the central bar, D, of the frame A there is attached a lever, K, the lower end of which is notched, as shown at 0, said notch being in line with a radial pin, 1), on the axle C. At the back part of the fra me A there is a roller, K. This roller is fitted between the lower ends of arms (1 q, which are attached one at each side of the frame A.

The operation is as follows: As the machine is drawn along the seed is distributed from the boxes F F, in consequence of the staples t i forcing the slides G forward at every revolution of the axle O and causing the filled openings c to register with the openings f in the lowest bottoms d of the seed-boxes. As the staples i pass the inner or back end of a the slides, the latter are thrown back to their origi nal position by the springs g. The shares Z form the furrows and the shares H cover the seed, the roller K pressing the earth firmly down on the same. \Vhen the machine is in operation, the frames E are kept back, or at the lower parts of the inclined planesiby the resistance the earth makes to the passage of the shares Z H, and the slides G are therefore kept within the paths or planes of rotation of the staples i i and the distribution of the seed insured. At any time, however, the driver on seat J may by drawing back the upper end of lever J, force forward and upward the frames E on their inclined surfaces 1) c, and the shares Z H will. be elevated above the surface of the ground and the slides G be moved beyond the action of the staples i, so that the machine, therefore, may be drawn from place to place without difficulty. At any time, in order to commence rows right in starting at the ends of a field, the axle C may be stopped by shoving forward the upper end of lever K, so that the notch 0 will pass within the path of rotation of the pin 1) and stop the rotation of the axle O, the machine still moving. By this means the rows can be commenced properly and the corn planted evenly in check-rows.

XVe do not claim any parts pertaining to the seeddistributing device, in themselves considered. Nor do we claim the roller K; but

We do claim as new and desire to secure by Letters PatentlLThe attaching of the seed-boxes F and the furrow and covering shares Z H to sliding frames .13, placed on inclined surfaces 1) c c, and having the seed-slides G of the boxes F arranged in relation with the staples or tappets v3 2' on the axle O, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In connection with the sliding frames E, having the seed-boxes and'shares attached, the lever K, provided with the notch 0, and arranged relatively with the pin 1), for the purpose, when necessary, of stopping the rotation of axle G, as set forth.

RICHARD TAYLOR. RENSELEAR SPRAGUE. \Vitnesses:

J; W. Tnorms, L. F. Tarn. 

